Typically, an air bag is positioned within the chassis of a vehicle such that in a normal state it occupies a small space. Upon activation or deployment, the air bag expands into the passenger compartment to prevent the driver or passenger from impacting components of the vehicle. In the recent years, in order to prevent a driver's or a passenger's head from colliding with the chassis, an air bag device has been installed in a side portion of the interior of the automobile. In such, the bag is accommodated in a space between the front pillar of the chassis and the pillar trim during normal use. During a broadside collision, the air bag expands and pushes the lower portion of the pillar trim away from the pillar of the chassis and is expanded in a curtain shape in the downward direction.
The pillar trim housing a pillar air bag is generally fixed to the front pillar by an insertion member, such as the simple hook. This hook frequently deviates or becomes separated from the pillar during the expansion of the air bag. Following separation, the driver and passengers may be injured by the loose pillar trim.
There thus remains a need in the art for a low cost assembly and efficiently manufactured device for constraining the pillar trim during deployment and expansion of the pillar air bag.